Thomas Papillon

Thomas Papillon (6 September 1623 – 5 May 1702) was an English merchant and politician, an influential figure in the City of London for half a century.

He went to school at Drayton, Northamptonshire, was articled in 1637 to Thomas Chambrelan, a London merchant, and in the following year was apprenticed to the Mercers' Company, of which he received the freedom in 1646.

Papillon was implicated in the riots of 26 July 1647, when a mob broke into St. Stephen's and forced Parliament to rescind the recent ordinance by which the City of London had been deprived of the control of its militia.

When the Independent faction regained the ascendency over the Presbyterians (August), he slipped off to France to avoid arrest, but returned in November, and was committed to Newgate Prison during the following February.

An adherent of the country party, he censured in committee of the whole house (March 1676) the pass system, under by English merchant ships had no protection on the high seas unless provided with government licenses; and supported (18 February 1678) the motion for making the army vote conditional on the disclosure of foreign alliances.

A strong Protestant, he moved on 18 November 1678 the committal to the Tower of London of the secretary of state, Sir Joseph Williamson.

When Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury was indicted at the Old Bailey (24 November 1681), he asserted the right of grand juries to examine witnesses in secret, though with no success.

Papillon married, in Canterbury Cathedral, on 30 October 1651, the letter writer Jane, daughter of Thomas Broadnax of Godmersham, Kent; she died in 1698.

With Hardinge and other members of Exeter College, he wrote verses urging William Browne of Tavistock to publish his promised continuation of Britannia's Pastorals.